Earlier this year, Mikhail Prokhorov, new wave owner of the NJ/BKN Nets, paid for a giant ad, splashed high above 8th Avenue, just two short blocks from Madison Square Garden, home of the Knicks. Considered brilliant at the time, the ad was all the rage. I think everyone found humor with it; everyone except Jim Dolan that is.
The ad was designed as a lead-up to the LeBron James Sweepstakes and coming on the heals of the Draft Lottery, where Mr. Prokhorov offered quite a few provocative lines regarding the future of the Nets franchise. The finished peice would have featured Prokhorov, Jay-Z and LeBron James....(if only). The Lottery Draft didn't turn out the way the Nets would have liked, but the ad was still a stroke of genius although not landing LeBron, again, provided a minor disappointment for the franchise.
pic ~ Yahoo.com article above.
This afternoon I found The Garden's response. While not as large as the ad the Nets had painted on 8th Avenue by any stretch; without any notice except by those driving down Atlantic Avenue (and not even then) the Knicks took a different tact and bought space directly inside the footprint of Atlantic Yards; site of the Barclays Center, future home of the Brooklyn Nets.
Let this thing build up some steam. This rivalry will go where it has never been before.
Fuhgeddaboudit!
INSIDE THE ATLANTIC YARDS FOOTPRINT:
What's left of the Carlton Avenue overpass.
Mike.BTB
The rivalry is gonna be sick! At least they don't have to share a house like the Lakers and Clippers. Can the Clippers just go back to San Diego, or Buffalo, or just...away?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I like the Amare Stoudemire addition, I think the Knicks will be a lot better.
BTW,my sister bumped into Walt Frazier last week in front of MSG. She said it was a cool moment.